Hip protector

Effectiveness

A 2014 Cochrane review found that hip protectors decrease the number of hip fractures among the elderly.

A number of reviews have found that hip protectors are cost-effective, particularly among residents of care homes and for long-stay patients in hospital

A previous review found that the effect for preventing hip fracture among nursing home residents was small and not effective among community dwelling elderly individuals. A 2007 review found a decreased risk of hip fractures in elderly nursing home residents.

However, acceptance and long-term compliance towards them has historically been quite low, mainly because of discomfort, dislike of their appearance by the person wearing it, and disagreement about fracture risk. More modern hip protectors do not suffer from these disadvantages because they are slimmer with a low profile, so less noticeable, have ventilation holes and ducting to keep the skin cool under the pad and are soft and pliable conforming to the contours of the hip. Better independent testing procedures developed by Professor Julian Minns have established a reliable baseline for impact absorption performance.

Research which has found hip protectors to be beneficial found that hard, energy-shunting hip protectors to be superior to soft, energy-absorbing ones. Another study showed that hip protectors' design and mechanical properties vary drastically among commercially available hip protectors.

Types

Hip protectors are either of the "crash helmet type" or "energy-absorbing type". The "crash helmet type" distributes impacts into the surrounding soft tissue, while the "energy-absorbing type" is made of a compressible material and diminishes the force of impact. Both of these systems aim to reduce the focused force beneath an estimated fracture threshold. Several different commercially available hip protectors exist.

Footnotes

References

1. (2007). "Hip protectors and prevention of hip fractures in older persons". Geriatrics.
2. (1996). "Hip fractures: incidence, risk factors, energy absorption, and prevention". Bone.
3. (Mar 31, 2014). "Hip protectors for preventing hip fractures in older people.". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
4. "Cost-effectiveness of preventing hip fractures by hip protectors in elderly institutionalized residents in Germany".
5. (2006). "Effectiveness of hip protectors for preventing hip fractures in elderly people: systematic review". BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.).
6. (2007). "Hip protectors decrease hip fracture risk in elderly nursing home residents: a Bayesian meta-analysis". J Clin Epidemiol.
7. (2003). "Acceptability and compliance with hip protectors in community-dwelling women at high risk of hip fracture". Rheumatology.
8. Minns. "How safe are hip protectors?".
9. "Hip protectors and osteoporosis {{!}} National Osteoporosis Society".
10. (2009). "Mechanical testing of different hip protectors according to a European Standard". Injury.
11. (2007). "Design: A neglected factor in medicine". McGill Journal of Medicine.
12. (2006). "Biomechanical comparison of hard and soft hip protectors, and the influence of soft tissue". Bone.